The Old Jinx
by CursedRedRose
Summary: Kid Flash is gone for a while and goes to see Jinx. What he discovers is a traumatised young woman who is a shadow of her former self. Can he help her recover? Flinx.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello, CursedRedRose here! I've been wanting to do a Flinx story with a darker tone for ages and this is what my brain eventually came up with. This is also my first multi-chapter story so I'll try my best to get the chapters up as fast as I can. Each one will have half from Kid Flash's perspective, then half from Jinx's. Please enjoy it!_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans**_

Kid Flash

I'm running at my fastest through the streets of Jump City. My patrol is almost over and so far I've stopped a bank robbery, three muggings and accidentally set off about a dozen speed cameras when I was travelling at a slower pace. I haven't seen a trace of the HIVE Five tonight and this both pleases and disappoints me. I'm happy that they're off the streets, I mean as a hero I really shouldn't be encouraging villainy, but it does mean I haven't seen Jinx tonight. I've really missed seeing her, even if she does try to hex me sometimes. I feel a smile creep onto my face as I hatch a cunning plan. If she won't come to me, I think as I sharply change direction, I'll go to her. I mean, how could she resist me?

I haven't been in Jump since that night she saved me. I can still picture every detail of her; her pink hair like candyfloss, her eyes that can glow so powerfully and yet still look vulnerable, that small smile she had given when she picked up my rose. I've given some girls flowers before but never roses, especially not red ones. I was saving those for somebody special and I knew that's what she was that first night at the museum. If only she could see that…

I stop just outside their headquarters. For villains, they sure aren't subtle, I think as I stare up at the giant H. If they had brains, they'd be dangerous. Except Jinx, of course. I really don't know why she sticks with those losers.

Then suddenly, the peace of the night is shattered by a piecing scream. The sound echoes around the island and makes me feel like my molecules are vibrating in sympathy with its intense pain. I run around the entire building, frantically looking for a way in but the security has been majorly stepped up since my last visit. I can hear the low hum of electricity pulsing in an invisible coat over the walls so I know I can't vibrate through the walls.

"Curse you Gizmo!" I say through gritted teeth as I end up back by the front door. The screaming stops as suddenly as it started and now I can hear laughing. Good God, what are they doing in there? Is Jinx al-

The door abruptly opens and I'm forced to dive into a nearby bush. Through a gap in the leaves I can see all the male members of the HIVE-Gizmo, Mammoth, multiple Billy Numerouses (or Numeri?), See-More with Kyd Wycked in tow-leaving but no Jinx. As they stroll past me I can hear their conversation.

"God, did you see the look on her face when we jumped her?! It sure was funny!"

"It sure dang was, Billy!"

"We taught her a lesson!"

"Stupid, snot-munching traitor! She deserved it!"

"Bitch!"

I'm surprised to hear that last comment coming from See-More. He's usually so mild but his eyes are cold and hard and he has a sick grin on his face. My blood is running colder than ice. Where's Jinx?

As the door closes I speed through it and stand in the darkness as I listen. At first I hear nothing. Then, there's a faint whimpering noise that almost sounds like a drowning kitten and I run like mad towards it, my heart beating faster and faster. I almost don't want to look but if Jinx is hurt, I'll do anything.

I burst into the unexpected light of their living space. The idiots must have forgotten to turn the lights off and hide their crimes. There's mess everywhere, mainly in the form of discarded food and takeaway cartons. In one corner lies the remains of a collapsed pillow fort but I can only stare in horror at the centre of the room. Jinx is lying there face down, her shoulders juddering as she sobs into the carpet. Her clothes are all torn so only her underwear is preserving her modesty and I can see her grey skin is coloured black and purple like a mosaic. One arm has pulled a blanket onto her back but it is smeared with red and there are patches of dark blood on the floor…Jesus Christ, what have they done to her…?

I'm by her side in less than a second. "Jinx, Jinx, can you hear me, are you alright?" I'm almost shouting in fear as I try to rouse her. I reach out my hand but the second I touch her, she recoils.

"Jinx?"

She snarls at me like a cornered animal and curls herself up. Her eyes, which always looked wild and dangerous, now look feral. Her arms cower over her head and I can see the blotchy lumps on them, like tumours are trying to break free from her skin.

"Jinx, it's me, Kid Flash." I say gently. She looks up at me and I see tears pouring down her face. She rubs them away and looks down at her lap. She looks horrified at what she has become.

"Kid Flash…I…. I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"What happened to you?" I'm angry now, I feel like my stomach is tying knots with itself as I struggle to stay calm. They hurt her, that's the only thing I can think, the sentence running through my mind like a runaway train. Those bastards hurt her…

She lets out a choking sob and I gather her broken body into my arms. She winces but manages to say "They attacked me, Kid Flash. My own stupid team. They waited 'til my back was turned…but this wasn't the first time…I should have been more watchful…I'm so stupid…"

"How long?" I say, my voice stony.

"Since…that night." She gasps out. I can hear her fragile breath fluttering on my chest. "I tried to leave…find you but See-More…caught me and dragged me back…I tried to escape but Gizmo put in all this security…" She looks up at me and almost smiles. "And now you're here. What took you so long?" She tries to giggle, making the plea into a joke but the sound falls flat.

I can feel bile in my throat as I run as fast as I can with her in my arms, taking her as far away from that hideous place as I possibly can. Her hair is blowing in my face; it feels like it's stroking me. I arrive at my apartment and nearly kick the door down in my haste to get in.

"Drink this." I order her as I lay her down on the sofa and hurry to pour some soup in a mug. I heat it up myself by vibrating it and give it to her. The way she gulps it down desperately makes me feel sick to the core. They starved her too?

I'm trembling with anger and I see her flinch. "Don't worry, you're safe here." I tell her but I can see she's not convinced. I grab her a blanket from my room and wrap it around her as she gratefully snuggles into it. For a brief moment our cheeks brush together as I lean over her to tuck it in and I feel my cheeks grow red but she has no reaction. Normally she would have hexed me by now but it's like she's gone numb.

I lean back and take her hand. She's so light and bony I'm surprised she makes a dent in the sofa cushion.

"Jinx, what happened? Why didn't you fight back?" I'm pleading with her now but her face is blank.

Her eyes look past me. "I tried to at first but…it was hopeless. There were five against one and they used to put power inhibiters on me that burned my skin…" She holds up her wrists and I see the large round burn marks. "I couldn't beat them…I was never going to win…I just gave up."

Hopeless? Never? The old Jinx would never have said that, or given up on anything.

She sees the expression on my face and sadly looks away. "That Jinx is gone Flash," She whispers as if she can read my thoughts. "She died somewhere…and I don't know if I can get her back. She's gone."

Jinx

I wake up at the crack of dawn. There's barely any light coming through the clink in the curtains but it somehow manages to hit me straight in the eye. Just my luck.

My limbs feel sluggish and stiff like they are made of lead and I almost expect to creak when I sit up. I look down at myself and feel disgusted. I'm exactly what they said I was; weak and useless and dumb. Ugly, little more than trash. No matter how hard I try, I can't get their poison out of my mind. It's formed a root there and I can't shake it out.

Kid Flash is still asleep. I can hear his snoring from the sofa. I look at my tattered clothes that were ripped from me last night. I remember their fingers running over me like worms and I feel dirty. I need to clean myself before he sees me like this. I stand up. My back is screaming at me in pain and I can see marks of blood on the sofa and blanket. I fold it over so they're not visible and scamper into the bathroom. I peel what is left of my clothes off me and step into the shower. It takes me a while to figure out how to turn it on but eventually I manage it. The water is blissful but it makes my back hurt even more. I bite down on my lip hard to stop myself calling out and waking Kid Flash up but when some shampoo suds run down my back, I can't stop myself crying out.

He's outside the door in a second. "Jinx! Jinx, what's going on?! Open the door!" He's panicking and I can hear him trying to break the door down. Quickly, I dash from the shower, pull a towel around myself and yank the door open. He's standing there in red and yellow pyjamas and in his hand he's clutching a pile of clothes.

"Are you OK Jinx? I heard you shouting…" He scans the bathroom before looking at me concerned.

"I'm fine." I try to tell him before realising the shower is still on. I turn around to switch it off before I realise my mistake and I freeze when I hear him gasp. I hang my head down. I know exactly what he's seen.

Across my back are a multitude of zigzagged cuts, some partly healed, some fresh and still weeping. They criss and cross all over each other like wickerwork, each slash a different shade of red or scabby brown. I let the towel fall and hold it over my front so he can see my shame in its full glory, the handiwork of my team. I look at the towel and see imprints of red on it. That is what sends tears down my face; I'm still marking, still ruining everything I touch. I then see his hand reaching out to the side of me; he's handing me a pair of white boxer shorts. He's trying to save my embarrassment and I'm grateful for it, for any crumb of kindness. I grab them and hastily put them on. They are a little big but I don't mind. It makes them comfier in a way.

I hear him take a step towards me and I'm trying not to cry. He stands behind me; I bury my face in the towel. Then, I feel him hugging me and there's a light sensation on my back like a cool breeze brushed against my skin. I see him raise his head in the mirror. There's a thumbprint of my blood on his lips.

"Oh Jinx…" His voice is hoarse as he presses his forehead to my wet hair. "I should have come sooner…I should have been there…"

"It's not your fault," I tell him. "It's mine, you were right, I should've fought…"

"How?" He asks. He's cradling me now, rocking me gently on my feet as we sway together like dancers. Any other time, I would have pulled away but instead I let him lead me.

"They did it with anything they could get their hands on," I say, my voice shaking. "That first night, See-More whipped me, he said it was to get all thoughts of you out of me." Kid Flash looks furious and I have to look away. I fear anyone else's anger now and that sickens me. Even I can't stand me anymore. "Then the others piled in. Gizmo tested some of his new weapons on me, Mammoth used his belt…every night it was something different. Then they started pouring things on the wounds so they would hurt even more-salt, vinegar, acid…then they did worse things…" I'm sobbing again and I curse myself. Stupid girl, remember what the Headmaster said! Crying is weakness! You are with a hero, get him! Yet when Kid Flash turns me around I burrow into his chest and howl. My body hurts all over and he's the only one who cares. What else can I do?

He pulls a T-shirt over my head and lifts me up. Wordlessly he takes me into his room and puts me on his bed, drawing the duvet up to my chin. I wriggle to get out, scared I'll bloody the sheets again, sully them with my presence, but he lays down next to me and stops me struggling.

"It's OK," He whispers. "Just get some sleep for me. Please?"

I look into his blue eyes, the colour of a warm inviting sea, and I nod. He smiles and leans over. I close my eyes but all he does is kiss me, softly and lingeringly, on my lips. I kiss him back and for a moment, everything is sweet and I can pretend the outside world doesn't exist. Maybe with him, I wonder as we settle down to sleep, I can get the old Jinx back.

 _Next chapter will be up as soon as I write it, I promise. Reviews are much appreciated and make me write faster!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow, I really didn't expect to have this chapter up so quickly but I got so fired up with ideas for it that I couldn't stop! I'm thankful to everyone who left a review, it made me so overjoyed and I hope you like this next instalment too! See, they really do make me write faster!_

Kid Flash

My communicator is beeping. I open my eyes to see it's little red light going crazy at me from the other side of the room where I tossed it last night in my hurry. I have to gently ease myself from Jinx and I smile as I look down at her. In her sleep her face is smooth, free from the fear and trauma she has been through. Despite the bruises and those barbaric cuts on her back, she's still the most beautiful thing that has ever slept in this bed. Her fingers curl around the bedsheets and she mutters something, her lips twisting into a small smile. I kiss her forehead and stroke her hair before I get up and attend to my bleeping communicator.

I leave the room so I don't wake her up and flick it open. Robin's irritated face looks up at me. The background is full of fuzzy sound but I can make out the sounds of traffic and Cyborg and Beast Boy arguing. I can see the whole team is cooped up in the T-car and are dying to get out. I know the feeling all too well, I hate being stuck in a car when I know I can run there in seconds.

"What's up?" I say cheerily to their disgruntled leader. He sighs at me.

"Don't ask," He says. "We've been stuck in traffic for a while because _somebody_ said we didn't use the T-car enough." He gave a pointed look to the side as protests about how their baby needed to be driven regularly to keep her in the best condition came raining down on him. He ignored them and continued.

"Anyway, you know how last night was meant to be your last patrol before we got back?" I nod. "Well, we've had to come up with a new plan. We need you to take this morning's patrol. We're not too far away from Jump at the moment so we'll probably join you at some point. Then we need to have a talk."

"A talk?" I say surprised. Robin's talks are never good and everyone I know dreads them because he takes everything way too damn seriously. The guy really needs to chill sometimes.

"We've heard reports Madame Rouge was in town. We heard you fought her off but then there was something about Jinx…" His voice trails off as he tries to remember. "I can't think right now but stay away from her. She's cruel and dangerous, you don't want to get involved."

I almost want to cry when I think of how wrong that description is now. I angle my head so I can glimpse her in my bed. She's still asleep and I smile at the sight of her. God, what Robin's face would look like if he knew where that cruel and dangerous girl was right now…

"What are you smirking at?" He snaps. He's massaging his head; I think he has a headache. An orange hand passes him an ice pack and he smiles fondly at someone that can only be Starfire. I hide a chuckle. That boy has it worse than me.

"Nothing. Alright, I'll head off now." I say as I grab my uniform. "Anything else?"

"Just be careful." He groans as Beast Boy starts yelling really loudly at Cyborg again. "Robin out."

The screen goes blank and I change quickly in the hallway. Before I leave, I write Jinx a little note and leave it by the bed so it will be the first thing she sees. I've nearly finished it before I pause and quickly add an invitation to dinner. I mean, what could be a better way for us to talk than over some food? I kiss her again, because I can't help myself when she looks so angelic, and then race out of the door.

I run around for a couple of hours but nothing much happens. I wasn't expecting it to; what self-respecting criminal acts in the morning? I'm tempted to quickly head home and see if Jinx is up-I don't want her to get scared if she's all alone-but then I'm alerted to a bank robbery taking place on the other side of town. I get there in milliseconds and watch as the doors burst open and the thieves clamber out with huge bags of money hoisted onto their shoulders. They freeze when they see me and I do the same. It's the HIVE Five, now actually with five members. The ones who hurt Jinx, who turned her into the scared creature she is now.

They pause before all their faces make the same mocking expression. My hands clench into fists and I'm breathing heavily. Gizmo sees this as he hovers with his jetpack and he laughs at me.

"What's the matter booger-breath?" he taunts in his annoying baby voice. "You gonna throw a tantrum?"

"Big words for someone still in diapers." I snap back. I see Kyd Wycked and Billy Numerous look taken aback at my tone and they give each other a worried look. None of the others seem to have noticed.

"Hey!" Gizmo shouts and lunges at me but Mammoth holds him back.

"Don't you want to know where your precious Jinx is?" He jeers at me with a grin.

See-More laughs coldly at my angry expression. "Don't act so dumb," He sneers at me, his one green eye twinkling with glee. "We know you took her away last night. Big knight-in-shining-armour moment for you, I bet." His voice is bitter. "What did you think of our work? It's a shame really-she was such a _fun_ plaything-"

He doesn't get the chance to say anymore. All my bottled up rage-that I'm usually quite good at keeping in-suddenly erupts and I fly at them. I attack them without mercy; I know that and don't care. I grab Billy Numerous and hurl him hard at the wall where he lands in a heap, groaning. Kyd Wycked opens up a portal but before he's even moved towards me, I've chucked him into it head first. Mammoth roars and dives at me but I dodge him and slam his face into the stone steps. His nose is bleeding heavily but that only seems to enrage me further as I remember the bloodstains on my sofa. Gizmo squeaks and tries to run away on his robotic spider legs but I grab them and tangle them up. I swing him around my head and send him crashing against the wall, where he joins Billy Numerous. I then turn to See-More, whose eyes are wide with shock, and before I know it, I'm on top of him, my fists pounding into his face as he yelps.

"Don't-you-ever-call-her-a-play-thing-again!" I shout at him, landing a punch with every word. I can hear people screaming all around me but all I can think of is Jinx lying on her front with blood all on her back and See-More's sick grin.

Then something drags me away from him. I try to fight it, thrashing out all my limbs but I'm powerless against it. I look and see tentacles of black magic are wrapped around my body and holding me still. They don't let me go until the HIVE Five are safely locked up in the back of a police van, none of them able to put up a fight in their unconscious state. When I'm finally dropped I turn around and find all the eyes of the Teen Titans are staring at me. Raven has her usual blank glare but Cyborg and Beast Boy look dumbstruck, Starfire has her hands over her mouth and Robin looks like he wants to murder me.

"What the heck were you doing?!" He steps forwards and yells at me, his face inches from mine. "Were you trying to kill them?! God, do you realise what could have happened if we hadn't been here?! What were you thinking?! That was crossing the line!"

"Good! They deserved it!" I shout back. All the other Titans gasp. "You don't know what they did, you didn't see her-"

"Who is her?" Robin cuts me off coldly. I stop and stare at him. He stares back and I realise I'm going to have to come clean.

"She's…Jinx."

"Goddamnit Kid Flash!" He explodes. "What did I tell you?! She's our enemy, she's bad news, she's the leader of the HIVE Five!"

"Do you see her with them?!" I shout and he goes silent. "She's not their leader anymore. I bet those reports you heard about Madame Rouge said that she saved me, right?" He says nothing but I can tell I'm right. "They're true, she saved my life and her team have been torturing her because of it. If you had seen her when I found her…"

Robin is looking at me bewildered. "The HIVE Five have been torturing her? Have you seen those guys?" He points over at the van. "We tricked them with a pie for God's sake! They're as incompetent as you can get!"

I wring my hands and shout "You haven't seen her! You didn't find her lying in her own blood with her back torn to shreds…You haven't seen how broken she is! All she's done since I found her is cry! She's scared of everything and I don't even want to think about what they did to her…they called her their plaything!"

The Teen Titans are all staring in shock at my outburst. Robin looks stunned but his face is still stern.

"Is she…that bad?" Raven suddenly asks me.

I nod. "She's got cuts all over her…and some of them won't stop bleeding."

"That sounds really bad man," Cyborg speaks up. "If she's as bad as he says she is, we need to get her to the Tower pronto."

Robin looks at them, then me. I look at him pleadingly. If they can help her then I might have a better chance of getting her back to her old self, just with less evil. Robin sighs.

"Fine. Take us to her." He agrees. "But if she pulls any funny business…"

"She won't," I quickly say. "Believe me…I wish she still could."

Jinx

I'd forgotten how nice it feels to wake up feeling safe. For so long I woke up each morning expecting to see the faces of my team leering at me but today I am greeted with sunshine. I open my eyes slowly and stretch out in Kid Flash's bed. I like the way my long pink hair stands out from the bright yellow of the sheets in an odd clash that somehow still seems to fit together. My hand brushes against something and I sit up to find a note from Kid Flash.

Dear Jinx

I know this sucks but I have to go on patrol (don't blame me, blame the Titans!) so I'll be out when you read this. It's a shame because I wanted to spend my whole day with you but alas it's not to be. Dinner later? ;)

Your Kid Flash

I smile and slightly shake my head. He's so cocky sometimes (I mean who says alas and then uses a winky face?) but I would be lying if I said I didn't think it adorable. He's covered the rest of the paper in wonky kisses in various different sizes like a child decorating a Mother's Day card and I find I'm holding it to my chest and squealing a little, like a girl who's just received her first valentine. The old me would never have done that, I think and I bite my lip hard to banish the thought as I get out of bed. I don't know what to think about this change in me; some of me wants to forget the whole thing and move on whilst the rest wants to fight and get me back. Meanwhile I'm caught in the middle of my own personal tug-of-war wondering when Kid Flash will get back. When he's here…I don't know what he does, he just makes everything better, makes what happened in the past feel more like a bad nightmare that can't touch me anymore.

I thought about him a lot after that night. Even though I wanted to hate him for it, I couldn't. He was so charming and sure of himself and his eyes felt like they were reading my soul when they looked at me. It was so weird feeling like that, like somebody was actually bothering with me and it had felt so nice sometimes I wanted the feeling to be physical and real so that I could hold it and never lose it. When my team first attacked me, See-More said it was punishment for falling in love with a good guy and that it would be good for me in the long run and for a while I almost believed him. It took time for me to realise they were doing it for their own sick pleasures.

I look around for some clothes and spot Kid Flash's pyjamas on the floor. I pick them up and fondle the soft material-this looks like it wouldn't inflame my back. I'm still only wearing the boxer shorts from last night and my regular clothes are all back at headquarters so I can't afford to be picky. I pull them on and they smell of him. I wrap my arms around myself and it feels like he's holding me. Urgh, I think, you've gotten so soppy and dependant, it's disgusting, but I don't let go.

I find myself wandering into the kitchen and rootling through the cupboards. I'm surprised by how stuffed full of food they all are-how much does he get through-and it's all so organised as well. I'm used to living in a pigsty-my room was the only tidy part of the headquarters until I wrecked it. I look and look but I can't see any coffee. My perfect start to the day usually contains at least three lattes with a ton of cream in them but there isn't even a hint of caffeine in this place. I used to get so irritable when I ran out and I would walk around growling at everybody but now I'm struggling to feel anything. I start pondering if I should grab some money and go down to the store but then I remember I'm not sure what part of town I'm in, I'm wearing pyjamas and the thought of being alone out there…Terror creeps its way into my stomach and I want to be sick. I look in the fridge and see some opened orange juice. I search for a glass and pour some out. I sit at the table and sip at the neon liquid, letting the sharp taste shock me awake. I'm not sure if I like it but at least it's a sensation that I'm reacting to. I pour another glass.

The carton is nearly empty when I hear scuffling at the door followed by fast furious whispers. I stand up and try to peer through the glass in the door but I can see nothing. My hand is shaking and threatening to drop the glass so I hastily put it down. The door bangs open and I scream and cover my head but within seconds Kid Flash's arms are cradling me.

"Oh my God, Jinx I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" He babbles before he pulls away to look at me. A wide smile lights up his face. "Hey, are those my pyjamas?"

I go red. "Do you want them back?" I say in a small voice that doesn't sound at all like me and I want to kick myself. God, I sound pathetic.

"No, don't worry, I have tons," He says quickly, embracing me tightly but keeping his hands off my back. "You look cute in them anyway."

I blush, another thing the old me would never have done. "How was patrol?" I ask him.

"You got my note?" He says and now he goes red, probably remembering what he put in it. I laugh. It sounds weird coming from me, I can't remember the last time I did. I never was a girl to laugh, the most I would do was smirk or sarcastically chuckle.

"Yeah, what's happening with dinner?" I ask but before he says anything the door bangs open again and I throw myself against the back wall and freeze when I see who walks in. It's the Teen Titans, the sworn enemies of my old team. They are all staring at me as I stand by the wall; Starfire and Beast Boy look dumbstruck, Raven has a strange look on her face, Cyborg is looking at me concerned and confused and Robin just stands there with his arms crossed and fury written all over him.

"Dinner?" He spits out frostily. I glance at Kid Flash and see he is glaring at Robin with equal anger in his eyes. He moves a little so he is standing in front of me and shrugs. He takes my hand and Robin's nostrils flare.

"Fl-flash…I stutter before inwardly cursing. I never stutter, especially not before my enemies!

Kid Flash shushes me before giving Robin a scowl. "Jinx, listen to me," He says cupping my face in both his hands and looking me in the eyes. "I know you're not going to like this but you've been badly hurt and you need to be looked over. Your back isn't healing properly and we need to know what they did to you so we can help you. I wasn't going to do this but this is the only way you'll gain their trust and Raven and Cyborg are the best medics I know…"

"We don't even know if she's been hurt yet." Robin says.

"Dude, did you not see her reaction?" Cyborg says. He waves his great metal hand at me and I flinch. "Anyone can see she's been mentally scarred."

"Yeah c'mon, she didn't even try to hex us for the first time ever!" Beast Boy nods.

"She's also got marks on her." Raven points at my wrists where the burns stand out from my pale skin like black ink on paper.

"Cyborg is right," Starfire says, resting a hand on Robin's shoulder. "This is not the Jinx we used to battle with most fiercely."

I hang my head. Even they think the old me is dead and the last thing I want is their pity. Kid Flash sees this and plants a soft kiss on my forehead. The Titans all look stunned except Robin who's fuming like a volcano but he says nothing.

"Will you come Jinx? Please? They won't arrest you or anything, I promise. Just for me?" Kid Flash looks at me with those tranquil eyes and I find myself nodding. He looks so happy it makes me smile a little too but then Robin makes a grunting noise and I'm shaken back into the reality of what I've just agreed to. I've agreed to walk willingly into the Titans Tower and have myself examined by people who probably hate me for what I did before. I really am stupid.

Kid Flash squeezes my hand. "You're doing the right thing, trust me. We can grab dinner later." He smiles before turning to Robin who sighs in a frustrated way.

"Let's go." He says. He turns to Kid Flash and hisses "I hope you know what you're doing."

I cling to his arm as we leave his apartment. I hope he knows what he's doing as well because I don't have a clue.


	3. Chapter 3

_Welcome to Chapter Three! This one took a bit longer as I kept going back and changing things but I'm actually really pleased with it now. Hope you all like it!_

Kid Flash

We travel to the Tower in cold silence. Somehow we all managed to squeeze in the back but the uncomfortable warmth of the car does nothing to relieve the frosty atmosphere. Jinx spends the journey staring at the floor whilst I keep my arm around her shoulders. Robin sits in the front and looks dead ahead but I can see his mouth twitching. Starfire keeps nibbling at her bottom lip and twisting her hair into ropes and Raven looks out of the window. At first Cyborg and Beast Boy try to start a conversation like there is nothing wrong but their laughter is too loud in the vacuum of the car and after a while, both fall silent.

I'm getting more and more agitated. I feel like I'm trapped in a box and I want to tear my way out. I try to keep myself still but I keep jerking about like the human equivalent of a Mexican jumping bean. When we do stop I throw myself out of the car and Robin gives me a scornful look.

"Quit being such a drama queen." He snaps at me. I give him a glare before I help Jinx out of the car. Her nails are hurting my arm as she clings to me but I say nothing as I lead her in. Honestly, I'm worried that if she lets go she'll lose whatever nerve she has left and make a break for it.

We are barely in the door before Robin spins around and demands "OK. Now show us your back."

Jinx stops in the doorway, her mouth in a little o of horror, and even his own team is looking at him like he's crazy. I glare into that stupid mask and I've honestly never wanted to punch it more.

"Are you kidding me?!" I snarl. "She's only just got here!"

"And she needs to prove herself before she goes any further."

"Like this? This is sick Robin! What happened to protecting the innocent?"

"You might be prepared to risk your life on a stupid trap but I'm not!" He yells. "And she's hardly an innocent, you don't know what she's done! I have a team and a city to think about and I swear if you put anyone in danger because you fell for a damsel-in-distress routine…"

"Cool it, both of you!" Cyborg steps in between us before we leap at each other's throats. There's a silence as the tension in the room seems to crystallise. He turns to Jinx and says in a gentler tone "I know this is hardly ideal but we do need to have a look at your wounds." He holds out one of his huge metal hands. "Please? It's nothing to be ashamed of."

She looks at him hesitantly before her own quivering hand reaches out and takes it. Her hand is so small and fragile compared to his, it looks like a white feather landing on a rock. He leads her further into the light of their large living room and I follow closely behind. When I had been away I had kept my ear to the ground for news of Jinx and I had heard some stories about the pair of them at the HIVE Academy. If he tries anything with her…

He takes her a little way away and then says "OK, now I just need to see your back. If you could just…"

She shrinks away from him and looks back at me fearfully. I'm by her side in a second. I pull her close and she burrows into my chest. I hear her mumbling "I'm…I'm not sure about this…I'm frightened…"

I shush her softly. "I'll be here, I won't move an inch I swear, nobody will see anything I promise." I tell her, thinking she's scared of stripping off in front of the people she used to fight. Then I see the look in her pink eyes and I realise what she's afraid of; them seeing her shame, her vulnerability. This is such a Jinx thought I almost want to rejoice but instead I kiss her forehead and whisper so no one else can hear "No one thinks you are weak Jinx. They won't when they see what you've been through. You're the strongest person I know, let them see that."

She gazes up at me and nods once, a forceful and determined look on her face. I gesture at the other Titans to gather around and they huddle closer like guests at a wedding bunching together for the photographs. Jinx moves her long loose hair over her shoulders so the only barrier between her torn back and their eyes is my pyjama top. For a few seconds she is still before she wrenches it from her in one swift movement and then shields herself against me, her head under my chin.

The Titans look upon her shredded back and recoil at the sight. Beast Boy covers his mouth and staggers backwards, Starfire cries out and turns herself away, Raven's eyes go wide in shock and even Robin makes a strange strangled noise like a gasp. Starfire starts making little snuffling noises and Robin goes to her. I gave him a look from under my floppy red hair that he doesn't see. Jinx is the one who's hurt and he hasn't believed and yet he goes to his girlfriend first?

Cyborg edges closer to her and crouches down to get a closer look. I've never seen him look so disgusted and yet compassionate before. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out.

"Oh Jinx…"

His fingers brush against her cut skin and she withdraws from the fleeting touch, her body pressing against mine. I hear her wincing and it makes my heart break.

"OK, OK, I won't touch anymore." Cyborg says and her anxious body eases. He starts examining her carefully as the others step forwards.

"How…how did this happen?" Beast Boy utters in disbelief.

"My old team found out I was going to leave," She tells them, her voice harsh and brittle. "So they decided to beat those thoughts out of me. They pinned me down, all of them, forced these power inhibiters on me…"

"Let me see those." Raven says and I step back a little so Jinx can hold out her wrist. Her long hair is covering her chest so she looks like Lady Godiva in pyjama bottoms. Cyborg stands up and firmly nods to show he is finished and I scoop up the top from the floor. She pulls it on but doesn't leave my side.

Raven makes a humming noise as she turns Jinx's thin wrist over. "Did these go into your skin? She questions frowning.

"They had spikes that went in my veins, yes," Jinx answers as Raven hums again. "I tried to pull them off but they wouldn't budge for almost a week. I had to smash them against a wall to get them off. I haven't…been able to use my powers since. I've tried but…it doesn't work."

"You lost them?!" Beast Boy almost shouts and she baulks again, her eyes wide and petrified.

"No she hasn't," Raven corrects him and her eyes bore into Jinx's. "I can still sense her magic. I suspect this is a psychological block- she had them on for so long the physical block became mental. Those things they put on her were so powerful I'm honestly surprised there wasn't more damage."

I shake my head. No wonder she couldn't fight back if she was against five opponents and didn't have her powers. I remember See-More's stupid face and I wished I'd punched it harder.

"How did the HIVE Five get tech like this?" Cyborg says puzzled.

"I'm not sure…" Jinx stumbles over her words. "I think they came from the Brotherhood of Evil…the guys went with them when I told them not too…they got so much more sadistic…"

At once Robin has pushed himself towards her, his face looming over hers. "The Brotherhood?! The HIVE is involved with them?! How?! What are they planning?!"

She's paralysed with terror and Robin grabs her wrist. She cries out in pain and I force myself between them, shoving Robin so hard he almost topples over and its only Starfire catching him that saves him from crashing to the floor. He looks up stunned and even I'm surprised. I seem to have gotten a lot stronger since Jinx burst into my life.

"That's enough." I tell him. "You have your proof; there's no need to treat her like a criminal anymore." I take a look behind me and I can see her trembling again. She's bitten her lip so hard that a bead of red has appeared on her lips. She sees me looking and she wipes it away but a new one quickly forms. "We need to take a break. Raven, we'll be down for your examination later." I say in my most commanding voice (listening to Batman talk for years helps) before I pick her up and race out of the room.

I take her to the rooftop; it's the quietest and most serene place I can think of in the Tower. I sit her down and she rubs at her face. Tears and snot are dribbling down her face but she keeps trying to wipe them away before I see them. Even now, after everything, she's still too proud to cry in front of me, still too ashamed. I run and get her a packet of tissues which she goes through thankfully.

For a few moments we sit back and look at the view. It's a real case of stark opposites; the sprawling bustling city ringing with noise and people making their way through a web of concrete on one side and on the other the azure sea that reaches out to kiss the sky with waves rippling down it tipped with lace-like sea foam. The two sides are joined up by a higgledy-piggledy line of yellow beach that runs between them like a seam in a clash that's strange but also beautiful. I sneak a glance at Jinx and see it all reflected in those gorgeous wild eyes. My gloved hand slinks over and takes hers and I feel her fingers curl into mine.

We bask in the sunshine and silence until I dare to speak. "Lots of questions down there, huh?" I say softly, my voice whipped away by the salty breeze.

She nods. I clear my throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry about Robin. He's a pain a lot of the time but he's not usually such a dick. He's just wound up over this whole Brotherhood thing."

"Leadership's a hard burden on your shoulders." She agrees with me and I feel her squeeze my hand again as memories hit both of us at the same time.

"Hey, I've had a thought," I say, hopefully. "You've already been asked a lot of questions and I'm guessing that after your ordeal they aren't going to stop for a while now so…how about we take it in turns to ask about each other, y'know, break it in?"

I say the last bit in a rush and my face feels like it's on fire. For a moment I think she's going to say no but then she mumbles. "OK then. You go first."

I feel so happy I want to cartwheel around the Tower but instead I cough again and say "Alright. What's your…favourite food?"

She lets out a short laugh at the randomness of it but then answers "Easy, blueberry pie. What's yours?"

"Everything." I say proudly and she pokes me in the side.

"Cheat!"

"What, it's true! OK, what's your favourite song?"

"Oh I don't know…err…I think Flashlight."

"Cool, I like that one too!

"And yours is?"

"Stop stealing my questions!" She snorts and I grin back. "Urm…probably Shut Up And Dance With Me. Favourite colour?"

"Red." She replies quickly without realising and then her cheeks go pink. She deliberately looks away as I lean in closer and whisper to her.

"Favourite hero?"

"It's my turn!" She says, stubbornly staring ahead. Then she gives me a wicked grin and says "Favourite villain?"

"Easy!" I announce and she looks at me startled. She really thought she had me there, how sweet.

"Who?" She goes, her brow all wrinkled in confusion.

"It's easy." I lean closer to her so the tips of our noses are touching. The only things in my vision are her two pink surprised eyes and they are ten times more beautiful than the view.

"You are."

Jinx

I'm lying flat on a bed in the Tower's medical ward; it reeks of disinfectant and I wouldn't be surprised if Robin had demanded extra for me. I can see he still doesn't like that I'm here but I honestly can't blame him, I would have been the same if one of the Titans had turned up at the HIVE for help. I'm wearing this skinny little hospital gown that feels like it is made of paper and it crinkles whenever I move. The pyjamas were taken off me and I almost cried when I saw more blood on them but Kid Flash told me it was alright, that Cyborg would put them in the wash and I'd have them back in no time, but now they won't be his and have his feel and smell. I mean, I wasn't wearing them to make a fashion statement; those garish things could have blinded somebody.

Kid Flash is standing on one side of my bed, watching me as my mind wanders aimlessly. Raven stands on the other side, her hand glowing and slowly making its way down my body to assess any internal damage. I'm looking up at it with a little fear as it goes on its travels; I'm hoping she won't be able to find what I'm thinking of, or if she does she doesn't tell him. It's something I've barely been able to think about and if he knows…

I shift around a little and my back tightens. Cyborg put some gel on it when we came down from the roof that he says will stop any infection getting in and allow it to heal. It feels like a layer of egg white has set on my back but it doesn't hurt as much and there's no blood anywhere. Kid Flash had a face like thunder when he was applying it; he doesn't like it when anybody else touches me and in a strange way I'm flattered by it. No one has ever acted that way around me and it feels good to know somebody thinks you are worth protecting. Even now, he's sulking at Raven because she wouldn't let him hold my hand; she said it would mess with the examination. He's doing this little pouting face that's really cute. I really need to stop having these sissy lovesick thoughts, I tell myself, even though I know I won't listen to a word.

Raven's hand is at my stomach now and I'm getting really nervous. It feels like my fear is sitting on my chest like a cannonball and making it hard to breathe. I know if I looked to the side my mind would conjure up the image of my leering ex-teammates, ghosts eagerly awaiting the discovery of their darkest, most brutal legacy.

Raven's hand reaches my hips and suddenly stops. Her violet eyes, usually so passive, are filled with horror. I shut my eyes as if I can hide from the truth in the black void of my eyelids.

I hear Raven let out a shuddering sigh and her voice cuts through the blackness. "How many times?"

"Twice." I whisper. Warm tears are gathering at the corners of my eyes but I refuse to let them fall.

"All of them?"

"No-just Mammoth, Billy and…and See-More. He was the worst." I say, still not opening my eyes. "Gizmo's too young and Kyd Wycked just stood there…and watched. He did nothing."

"Jinx, what are you talking about? What happened?"

I open my eyes. Raven is looking at me with pity, her eyes glassy and her hands pressed to her lips. Kid Flash is looking at us both, his head darting from one to the other like he's watching a game of tennis. The pout is gone and is replaced with alarm. He looks at me with those innocent blue eyes and I have to turn away; I can't bear to be the one who takes that away.

He looks back at Raven. Her hand is still hovering above me. I see the dawning realisation on his face when he sees it and my tears start to fall.

"Jinx?" I hear him say desperately and I can't look at him. This only confirms what he was thinking and he stumbles back from the bed.

"No," He croaks out. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Kid Flash, calm down," Raven begs him as she tries to stop me from sitting up. "Please, this isn't-"

"NO! There must be some mistake, they can't have done that to her, they can't have…"

"Flash, wait-" Before I've even opened my mouth, he has zoomed out of the room. I look at Raven in a panic and we both run after him. She halts in the doorway and I watch over her shoulder as she stops me getting through.

I can see why. Kid Flash has collapsed in the middle of the room and a string of nos are falling from his mouth, getting angrier by the second. The other Titans, who were all standing outside waiting, look at him, then at us clueless to what has devastated him. Robin moves closer to him warily, crouching like a spider.

"Kid Flash? Are you alright? What's going on?"

"They…they…" He can't even say it. Robin looks up at Raven and something passes between them. I don't know what it was but abruptly Robin's face loses its harsh edge and he actually looks at me with something resembling softness.

"Oh no…"

"I should have been there!" Kid Flash explodes. "If I had taken you away that night with Madame Rouge…if I hadn't left Jump…I should never have let them get their slimy hands on you…"

He stands up and pounds his fist into the nearest wall with a wail akin to a battle cry. Everyone leaps back as it sails through the plaster and makes a hole. He stands there for a few seconds; the only sound in the room is the echo of his heavy breathing. Then, he slumps against the wall and I can see droplets of water on his face.

I dive under Raven's arm and go to him. I wrap my arms around his middle and cling to his back with my bowed head pressing between his shoulder blades, the way he held me in his bathroom.

"Kid Flash, listen to me." I tell him, trying to sound soothing even though we both can hear how I'm fighting not to cry. "It's not your fault, OK?"

"I should have been there-" He mutters but I stop him by putting my hand over his mouth.

"You can't be everywhere at once, even if you are the fastest boy alive," I say. "And I won't hear any more of it. They are the only ones to blame, not me, not you."

"Why did they…" He mumbles angrily. I tighten my grip.

"It was See-More. I had suspected he had a crush on me for ages but I didn't expect him to take it that far. The others did it to punish me but I could tell he was the only one who really enjoyed it." My voice sounds bitter and I take a deep breath. "But I'm not there anymore Flash. I'm here, with you and that's all you need to know about it."

At first he does nothing and I'm terrified he will shrug me off and leave me behind, not wanting me now that I'm soiled. Then I feel a warmth on my fingers and I realise he's kissing them softly, his lips gentle on my skin.

I want to laugh. I can imagine how ridiculous we must look; a boy in red and yellow spandex with his fist stuck in the wall being spooned by a grey pink-haired girl in a hospital gown as he sucks on her fingers. It just sounds so absurd yet there is nowhere else I would rather be.

He removes his fist from the wall, shaking off the little flakes of plaster, and I loosen my arms so he can turn around. He runs his fingers through my hair and rests his forehead against mine. A tear drops from his face and mingles with my own.

"You promise there's nothing else I don't know about?" He says. "Nothing at all?"

My fingers, tingling with the touch from his lips, trace his jawline and trail down to his collarbone.

"I promise." I say. "Now, about dinner…"

 _Thank you, Chapter Four will be up as soon as possible! Please leave a review-they really get the creative juices flowing!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello again! It's amazing how much writing I can get done without school! I wanted to put something in that wasn't as dark so here it is! Thank you for all your reviews and feedback so far, I'm really glad to receive and learn from it. Enjoy!_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans nor do I own the two songs used.**_

Kid Flash

Night has come quickly to Jump City and for once, I'm glad it has. On evenings like this, when everybody turns up the collars on their coats and hurries home, no one takes any notice of two teenagers walking down the street holding hands, or alternatively, one dragging the other around by the hand.

Jinx was so timid about going out tonight, I seriously thought she was going to bottle out several times. I think when she brought the idea of dinner up, she meant a takeaway. When I suggested an actual restaurant she went paler than I thought skin could possibly get and she looked like she wanted to hide under the bed in the medical ward.

"It'll be fine," I reassured her. "We're not going as ourselves! No one will recognise you, I guarantee it!"

I then put Starfire (who got very excited about it) in charge of her make-over and, I must say, I was impressed with the results. Jinx's hair now has streaks of dark brown in it and it looks so natural, anyone else would've sworn the pink was the colour that looked out of place. Her skin has been lightly layered with foundation so it still looks pale but has lost its grey tinge. However, it's her eyes that are the most jarring thing. Cyborg managed to rustle up some contact lenses for her and they are eerily realistic, giving her soft brown eyes with no hint of the cat-like pupils that lie behind them. I find myself missing them-every time I look into her eyes, it's like the lenses are blocking me from the real her, putting one more barrier between us.

Raven and Starfire also cobbled together an outfit for her (Starfire was very insistent on it) and she looks cute in a weird Gothic way. She's dressed in a black band T-shirt from some heavy metal group that I've never heard of and heavy black boots from Raven and a swishy short pink skirt and black leggings from Starfire. Her hair is tied up in a messy topknot and she's wearing pink lipstick and heavy eyeliner. I ran back to my apartment earlier to get her one of my black jackets and she looks stunning. I'll have to make sure she keeps it.

I'm wearing my usual Wally West gear of a white shirt and jeans with a brown jacket. When I first showed up in it, Jinx looked so unnerved to see me in regular clothes-she'd only seen me before as Kid Flash or in pyjamas. I reminded her of this quite loudly in front of all the Titans and she tried to hit me. That made me feel euphoric, it's like the old her is coming out bit by bit.

I'm taking her to a small Italian restaurant I know that's quite a way from the Tower and nestled in a corner where a bunch of streets join up. It's one of those places that's really hard to find unless you're looking for it but I'm a regular there, so I find it easily. My first day in Jump, before I had even met Jinx, I stopped a robbery here and now the owner gives me meals whenever. I've not turned up here with company before. I can only hope she likes it.

I walk in the door with her and the head waiter catches my eye. He looks surprised to see me with a girl but then he smiles and gives me a wink and a sly thumbs-up. Two minutes later, we're sitting in a small booth that blocks off the noisy hum and crashing sounds of the restaurant. He comes over with menus and lights a candle in front of us with a grin and I see Jinx blush pink to the roots of her hair. I order us both waters and he leaves us be. I look at Jinx with a smile.

"What do you think?" I say, spreading out my arms. "Not so scary, huh?"

She pokes me in the ribs with a small smile. "No, not really." She admits, looking around. "This is a really nice place."

"Yeah, it's one of my favourites." I tell her. "Later they put music on, clear all the tables in the centre and we can dance the night away."

She looks at me terrified. "I can't dance!" She squeaks.

"Of course you can! Everyone can dance!"

"Trust me, I can't."

"Sure you can. I'll show you later."

She's about to protest again when the waiter reappears with our drinks. We order our food; I get the biggest cheese pizza they have with a side of chips and she orders spaghetti carbonara. She gives a sigh when he leaves. I look at her worried.

"Jinx, is there something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she says, looking at me through a small haze of candlelight that makes her skin glow. "It's just…I feel so happy. And usually when that happens, bad things come along to crush them. You know, karma's a right bitch sometimes." She's smiling, trying to pass it off as a joke but even the contacts can't hide the sadness in her eyes.

I take her hand from across the table. "Don't think about it." I say. "Don't even give them space in your head. I won't let anything else happen to you Jinx."

"I know, it's just…" She still looks worried but also resigned. "I'm bad luck. Things like this don't tend to last for me. And I'm not being sorry for myself, it's just a fact."

"Try me." I say cheekily with a grin. "I can be pretty perseverant."

"I know that." She huffs a wisp of runaway hair from her face and folds it behind her ear. "God, you turned up at all the most inconvenient moments…in my room when I had all my old drawings out, when I was trying to rob that necklace from the museum…"

"They've put it under lockdown now. Maximum security." I tell her and she almost looks proud. "Why did you want that ugly old thing anyway?"

"It's a good luck necklace idiot." She says with a spark of the old Jinx's fire. "Why do you think?"

"Oh." Now I really do feel like an idiot. "Hey, maybe I could persuade them to let you borrow it for a day or something."

She snorts. "Why would you do that? That wouldn't look good for the golden boy of the Justice League, borrowing valuable goods for a villain."

"What?" I shrug as she takes a sip of water. "Can't a guy do something nice for his girlfriend?"

She nearly chokes as she just about manages to avoid spraying water all of the table. She goes all pink again and she sits there spluttering at me as some water dribbles down her chin. "Wh-what?"

"What?" I say innocently. "Did you think I kiss every girl and let them sleep in my bed?"

"You better not now." She growls and I burst out laughing. "But seriously, am I?"

"If you want to be." I reply and suddenly I'm the one blushing under her gaze. For God's sake pull yourself together! What happened to being cool, calm and collected? I look at her and my tongue feels like a brick in my mouth. This never happens to me, why does she have this effect on me?

Then I feel her take my hand again. "I think that would be…nice." I hear her say. She's looking down at her lap but I can see she's grinning, grinning like she used to. "Besides, it would save me having to sleep on the couch."

"Yeah, right." We look up at the same time, eyes and hands locked together. For one brief moment, it's like the restaurant and the outside world didn't exist, that there was no such thing as past, future, hero, villain…it was just now, me and her, the barriers melted away. I move to stand up, to lean over the table and kiss her and she moves to do the same…

Then plates are thumped down on the table between us and the moment is broken.

"Your food!" the waiter proudly exclaims as we both dart back to our seats. Jinx has gone pink again and I stare at him annoyed. I want to yell at him 'You stupid, cock-blocking moron, can't you see we're having a moment?!' but he looks at me and shrugs before he takes off again to the other side of the restaurant where I can't get at him.

We start eating in a peaceful yet awkward silence, neither of us quite sure what just happened. I finish my pizza and chips off easily and start looking at the dessert menu. We chatter on about anything we can think of as she eats her pasta, me finishing off the last quarter of it when she declares she is full.

"How can you eat so much and still be that skinny?" she says as I scrape the sauce from her bowl with my finger.

"Metabolism." I answer matter-of-factly. "I burn off like, ten times more calories through running so I need to eat a lot."

"No wonder your cupboards are so full." She shakes her head.

"You went through my cupboards?"

"I was looking for some coffee."

"I can't have caffeine. It makes me go even more hyper than usual."

"And here I was thinking you couldn't get any worse."

I smirk and poke her in the sides as she wriggles away from me. "Stop it, I'm ticklish!" She says before she realises her mistake.

I can't resist grinning devilishly at her. "You shouldn't have told me that."

I launch an all-out attack on her sides and she starts writhing about trying to get away. "Stop it, you're being so childish, people are going to look-" She gasps out between fits of high-pitched giggling. She's trying to cover up the sound with her hands but she can't stop her mouth and fend me off at the same time. "If you don't stop right now-"

"What? What are you going to do to me Jinx?" I'm almost on top of her now as she tries to escape by sliding under the table but I pull her back up onto the cushiony seat. My face is angled above hers and she is so close I can feel her hot gasping breaths on my face. It's at this point I'm really glad I got us a booth; we look like we're in a very compromising position. "Drag me home and teach me a lesson?"

"Shut up and get off me you idiot!" She hisses. "People will see us!"

I'm about to retort that I don't care who sees us but suddenly we're distracted by the sound of loud music starting up. I recognise it instantly and a huge smile spreads across my face.

 _Oh, don't you dare look back_

 _Just keep your eyes on me_

 _I said you're holding back_

 _She said, Shut up and dance with me…_

"Hey Jinx, this is my favourite! C'mon!" I grab both her hands and pull her off the seat, ignoring her protests as I lead her back into the main restaurant. Just like I told her, the tables have all been stacked up against the walls and the floor is flocked with dancing people. She tries to wriggle from my grasp as I dive into the crowd and I can see the panic on her face. I move my arms but hers are frozen stiff.

"Don't look so scared Jinx, this is meant to be fun." I say into her ear as I draw her closer. "Just mimic me, OK?"

I feel her nodding and I lean back. I let go of her and start to dance, moving my arms around in small gestures to get her started and slowly she starts to loosen up and copy me. I see her anxious look fade away as she concentrates and I build it up, moving my legs in little side steps and shaking my hips. She does the same in a perfect mirror image of my own steps and she laughs. "I…I think I'm getting it!" she whoops as she spins around, letting the music carry her.

"Yeah, you are!" I shout enthusiastically back. I'm surprised she caught on this quickly, she's a natural at it. "Time for some free style!"

With my hands around her waist, we whirl around the dance floor like a pair of lunatics, somehow managing not to crash into everyone. I can hear her laughing and it sounds better than any music ever could. As the song ends we both throw our heads back and sing the last chorus as loudly as our lungs can muster.

 _This woman is my destiny_

 _She said oooooooo_

 _Shut up and dance with me!_

Jinx

I don't know how he does it. I've always avoiding dancing, even at the HIVE Academy dance I kept it to a bare minimum, preferring to stand and watch others make fools of themselves. Yet here I am, dancing like a manic in a small Italian restaurant with someone who used to be my enemy. I probably look like a spider on a hot plate but I don't care. My hair is beginning to fall out in striped waves around my face but I don't care. I will almost certainly regret this later and I'm feeling a tiny bit sick and I'm sweating my make-up off but I still don't care. I can see him grinning at me with that twinkle in his blue eyes and every second of this becomes worth it, just to see that look. I've felt more like myself tonight than I have for what seems like forever and when he's with me…I'm actually hopeful for the future, it feels like I have one for the first time. I really am getting so soppy with my thoughts but then again (and I fear this is going to become a trend) I really can't seem to care.

We dance and dance together until the music stops and the voice of that irritating waiter calls out that the restaurant is closing. Everyone groans but I'm slightly relieved-these boots are starting to rip the skin from my feet. We stumble out into the cold night, our breath cloudy in the freezing air, and Kid Flash starts to lead me back down the darkened streets.

"There," He says with triumph in his voice. "That wasn't too bad was it?"

"It was fun." I have to admit. "But it would have been nicer if you weren't so damn embarrassing."

He pretends to look offended, raising a dramatic hand to his forehead with a flourish worthy of a Shakespearian actor. "Embarrassing? How in the world could I possibly do that?"

"You know what," I say. "And I demand an apology."

He raises a cocky eyebrow at me. "Oh, what's that? You're ready for Round 2?"

He lunges at me and tickles me again, trapping me in a bear hug worthy of Starfire (she gave me one earlier when she finished my make-over; I'm sure she left bruises). This time however, there's no table to constrain me and I manage to twist out of his arms. I make a break for it, running down the street with no clue where I'm going. I can hear him chasing me and I carry on running. To the outside world we must look like two normal teenagers mucking about and I laugh loud and carefree at the thought.

Then suddenly something swoops past and lifts me off my feet. The world blurs by me like a film that has just been sped up and within seconds I'm standing outside Kid Flash's apartment block being carried by him like he's about to take me over the threshold. He puts me down and I wobble about dizzily, trying to get the world back into focus and to keep my food down.

"Did you really think you were going to outrun me?" He gloats. I give him a glare just before my stomach loses its fight and I puke up all my food into the gutter. I stand there bent over for a few minutes regaining my composure whilst spitting out bile before I realise he's holding my hair back.

"Shit, I'm really sorry Jinxie," He says, looking genuinely distraught. "I should've slowed down like I did before-"

"OK," I cut him off sharply as I straighten up. "Rule One: don't call me Jinxie. Rule Two: do not tickle me. And Rule Three: warn me next time! You shouldn't be using your super speed in your civilian clothes anyway!"

He looks down and I see how shocked he looks. "Oh my God, you're right!" He exclaims before looking sheepishly at me. "I guess I wasn't thinking straight. I haven't really been doing that a lot these past couple of days…"

We both blush as the meaning of his words sinks in. "Urm…" I go before I've had the chance to think of anything to say. "We…best go inside. It's cold out here."

"Yeah, course." He says as we go up the steps to his door. He lets us in and both head for his room. All I want to do is sleep for a very long time and I can tell by his yawning that he's feeling the same way. It's been a long day for both of us.

He closes the curtains as I switch on the light. The pyjamas I was wearing earlier have been folded up and put on his bed and I pick them up and smell them. They whiff of clean and some sort of flower but I'm grateful for them anyway. Who needs the faint scent of something when you have the real thing lying next to you?

We get changed with our backs to each other; I'm still not comfortable with him seeing some of the scars I've got. When I look around, he's staring at my back in his mirror, his face like thunder.

"Don't think about it." I say. "Don't even give them space in your head." He looks at me with surprise at his own words and I laugh at his expression. He gives a wry smile back but I can tell how happy he really is. That boy is like an open book sometimes.

We get into bed like it's the most natural thing in the world and before I know it, he's got his arm around me and my head is on his shoulder. We lie there in darkness for a while until I hear he's softly humming something. It takes me a moment to recognise it but when I do I almost want to cry.

 _I got all I need when I got you and I_

 _I look around me, and see a sweet life_

 _I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

 _You're getting me, getting me, through the night…_

Instinctively I start singing the words and he carried on humming, pulling me closer as he does so. I look up at him and there are tears in both of our eyes.

 _Can't stop my heart when you shine it in my eyes_

 _Can't lie, it's a sweet life_

 _Stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight_

 _You're getting me, getting me, through the night_

 _Cause you're my flashlight_

 _You're my flashlight_

 _you're my flashlight._

I stop singing and the silence threatens to engulf us. He kisses me softly and sweetly as our hair tangles on the pillow and I've never been more at home.

 _Just a note… when I first heard the song Flashlight on YouTube, I heard a much slower, more emotional version by Bethany Mota and I believed that was the real song. When I found out it was a Jessie J song and heard that version I was like What?! But I think both versions work so it doesn't matter but I still prefer the first one. But if you want check both out._

 _Anyway, please leave a review! The next chapter will be the last so reviewing will help the ending come quicker!_


	5. Chapter 5

_And here it is, the last chapter! This is the part I couldn't wait to write and I can't believe how well this story has been received by you all. Thank you all for the favourites and reviews and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it._

Kid Flash

A few weeks go by and Jinx starts to improve. With the help of Cyborg's sticky gloop, the wounds on her back start to heal, growing less red and angry day by day, although we both know the thin white lines like needles they leave behind will always be there. Her burn marks fade too but her powers have yet to come back. She tries every day to summon back the feeling of energy sparking between her fingers but all she ends up doing is exhausting herself. I've come home from patrol several times to find her zonked out on the sofa, her eyes bleary from trying to hex something, anything.

"You're pushing yourself too hard." I scold her but I know she won't listen. Her powers are a fundamental part of her and I can't blame her for wanting them back; I know I would do the same thing.

Her mental state has improved somewhat as well. When we're alone together I see sparks of her old snarky sarcasm emerging along with her stubbornness and will. She's started drawing again and now my desk is covered in half-finished sketches of unicorns, not that I mind. She's now perfectly comfortable in my apartment and the Titans Tower and slowly she's beginning to bloom there too. Her, Raven and Starfire have formed an unlikely trio and hang out all the time when we go there though I'm still not sure what they actually do. Whenever I look over they just seem to be giggling. She's also started joining Cyborg and Beast Boy in their video game marathons and they still can't believe it when she beats them.

"I lived with five boys remember?" she told them in the most deadpan manner the first time she kicked their butts at Mega-Monkeys. "And this was all they did. Trust me, when it comes to those guys, you both are amateurs."

I think I would have given all the money in the world for a camera just so I could have immortalised their faces as she got up and walked away. Even Robin had to smile. He's warmed up to her a lot since that first day and they seem to have some sort of grudging respect for each other, both being leaders and all. They've started sparring together now to demonstrate their different fighting styles, his more martial arts and hers more acrobatic. It's always good to watch though I'm there to make sure she doesn't get hurt. Robin knows what will happen to him if she does.

Other things however, haven't been as easy. Despite our night out dancing, she's still terrified of leaving the apartment in case we run into the HIVE Five even though I've told her she has nothing to worry about. She only leaves the place when she's wearing a brown wig and those contact lenses and even with those on, she still grips my hand like she's hanging from a cliff. It breaks me whenever I see her cowering away from people we pass and I've been seriously tempted to burn that damn wig but Raven has told me firmly not to rush.

"I know this is hard for both of you," She told me the last time I spoke to her. "But this is one of those things that is going to take time. I can sense that she's improved a lot and she's happier with you, just hold onto that."

I know time is one of those things I have plenty of but I can't help being impatient. It gets at its worst during the night; even though we sleep in the same bed, at times I'm scared to touch her, knowing what she's had to endure. In moonlight, it looks like her skin is made of frosted glass and when I kiss her, I always hold back ignoring my teenage hormones because the last thing I want to do is lose her trust-I think that would destroy me as well as her.

We plod along in a strange yet comfortable routine with me going out on patrols and her staying at home either drawing, cleaning or sometimes attempting to cook, her inability to use her powers making her a lot less volatile around a stove. Weeks go by until it becomes two months since the day I found her in their living room. The Teen Titans have settled back into Jump but I still haven't gone home yet. It doesn't take a detective like Robin to work out why.

That day, the sun blazes brightly in the clear sky and the temperatures soar to record heights, making it the hottest day Jump has had for a long time. I quickly grow sick of being cooped up in the oven of our apartment and I suggest going out for a walk. She agrees but then goes to pull her wig on and I want to rip that thing to shreds.

"You know you're going to boil in that, right?" I say but she ignores me as she puts her contacts on in the mirror.

I go to her and take her arm as we exit the apartment and head downtown. There are swarms of people making their way down the streets in shorts and sunglasses and I felt Jinx's tight clasp on my arm growing tighter with every person we pass. I can also see she's sweating under that stupid wig and I want to tear it off her head but I know if I do I'll cause a scene so I stay quiet.

We're walking down one of the main streets when police sirens start going on around us. Red and blue lights flash from around the corner and suddenly a huge explosion rocks the ground. Jinx and I crumple to the ground but before she's got up, I've already run back home and got into my Kid Flash uniform.

"Stay here." I order her and she nods breathlessly. I make to run around the corner but another much closer explosion sends us both flying backwards. Smoke fills my lungs and as I splutter in the gravel on the street, a group of dark shadows form in the smog. They morph into solid figures as they get closer and as my vision clears, I fill with rage. The HIVE Five are standing there smugly in the middle of the chaos, Gizmo tossing a homemade bomb up and down in his hand as if it were a rubber ball and See-More looking around him with disgusting satisfaction on his face. They spot me and their grins get wider.

"Kid Flash. Just the speed freak we wanted to see." See-More chuckled as Billy Numerous let out a loud hoot and Mammoth throws a meaty fist at the nearest wall, creating a large crack in it. They advance forwards and I turn to Jinx. They haven't seen her lying in the dirt, her chest heaving with large frightened breaths. She's staring at them fixedly, her eyes filled with pure terror and her mouth gaping as her limbs started to scrabble around in panic.

"Stay there!" I cry over as she tries to stand up but before I can do anything, blistering pain fires through my body and I can't get to her. All I can do is thrash about on the floor as the HIVE Five get closer. It's like that night with Madame Rouge, only ten times worse. I try to turn my head and I see Gizmo flying about laughing, waving a remote around. I fight to keep my eyes open and I see her standing there, paralysed in the middle of the street. I try to yell at her but my voice grows weaker with every word.

"Run...Run…for…it…Jinx…please…"

Jinx

He's yelling at me to run. He's beseeching me to run through his pain but I can't move. All I can do is watch in horror as my old teammates, my torturers, step closer to the only boy who's ever believed in me with maniacal grins on their faces. See-More snatches the remote from Gizmo and gleefully turns the knob higher, all trances of the shy meek boy I once knew gone. Kid Flash screams in agony as his body convulses and jerks with the electricity shooting through him and they all laugh like demons.

Hot anger is boiling through my veins and without thinking, I thrust my hands out in front of me and a pink wave shoots out. It goes through the shortening gap between Kid Flash and the HIVE Five and they are all thrown backwards to the ground. I stare down at my hands in astonishment. My fingers are crackling with pink magic again and the familiar feeling of energy is fizzing back through me. It feels amazing, like I've been renewed, and I feel one of my old evil grins return to my face. This is going to be _sweet_.

Now they are the ones groping around in the road as I step towards them. I shoot another small wave at them and the remote crumbles into silver dust. I hear Kid Flash gasp behind me and I know he is safe. The HIVE Five look up at me in bewilderment.

"What's the matter boys? Forget about me so soon?" I say as I rip the wig from my head and let my pink hair flow free. I then pull the contacts from my eyes and chuck them to the floor and they bounce away into the gravel. I stand there in my full undisguised glory as they all gibber like shocked monkeys.

"Jinx!?" They all shout except Kyd Wycked who just looks shocked with his little mouth hanging open. "We thought-"

"You thought what? That you had got rid of me?" I taunt them, remembering what little I did like about being evil. "It'll take a lot more than what you did to me to do that."

All the power that has been bottled up inside me is now surging through my veins like electricity. My hands are now glowing orbs of pink, my eyes are burning with my magic and my hair is almost standing on end, floating in a cloud around my head like I am underwater. I have never felt more alive and as I look at their petrified faces, I grin and they cower.

"I think it's time I taught you boys a lesson." I say as I draw my arms back. "Consider this my resignation."

They're frozen to the spot as my power builds. "Jinx we-"

"This is for my boyfriend," I throw my left hand forwards and a wave of pink sends Kyd Wycked and Billy Numerous flying back into the smoke. A loud crash echoes round and dust springs up where they smashed against a wall.

"This is for my city," Another wave shoots from my right hand and Gizmo and Mammoth are hurled back into the same wall where they land on the other two with a colossal thud.

That only leaves See-More, my worst tormentor. He stares at me with his one great green eye, begging like the coward he is to be spared. All the times I pleaded for mercy from him as he butchered me like a piece of meat and he never spared me. My resolve hardens. This will be my last act of villainy.

"And this is for me!" I cry out as I bring both my arms out to the sides like I've just finished a gymnastics routine. A ripple of waves head straight for him, growing stronger with every metre and ripping up the pavement as they go. He screams like a baby as they hit him square in the chest and he is bowled backwards to be reunited with his teammates as they lay in a silent heap.

The energy subsides as my anger wanes and police officers dash past me to get at them. I turn and stride away from them, my hair flying back behind me like one of those ridiculous super hero capes. A few people look at me oddly but I just swoosh past them. Nobody can stop me now.

I walk over to Kid Flash who is crouching on the ground, still gathering his strength back. I stand in front of him and he looks up at me like I've just sprouted a halo.

"Jinx?" he says softly, his blue eyes round with awe.

"The one and only." I laugh as I reach out a hand to him. He takes it and I pull him to his feet. He stares at me in wonder for a moment, his hand holding mine tightly as if he fears he's dreaming. Then suddenly his mouth is on mine and he's kissing me more passionately than he ever has before and I respond in kind, both of us ignorant of the commotion surrounding us.

We draw back for air, both our cheeks flushed and our eyes starry with tears. He coils a curl of my pink hair around his fingers and smiles at me tenderly.

"Hey Jinx," he whispers to me cheekily, so no one else can hear. "What took you so long?"

 _So…what do you think of my ending? Whatever your feelings please leave a review of the story-I'm not too proud to beg for feedback! Thank you so much again. CursedRedRose out!_


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